Stick for playing percussion instruments

ABSTRACT

A drumstick or device for similar purposes is constructed with at least that portion of the length thereof to be gripped by a user generally flattened in one transverse direction to facilitate more comfortable and positive holding and manipulation of the stick than is possible with conventional sticks having a circular transverse cross section throughout their lengths.

United States Patent Huslig 1 1 Feb. 18, 1975 1 1 STICK FOR PLAYING PERCUSSION 3,165,964 1/1965 Stys Cl 111. .1 84/422 INSTRUMENTS D152,877 3/1949 Gcldard H 84/422 X Inventor: Elmer F. Huslig, 2020 17th St.,

Great Bend, Kans. 67530 Filed: Sept. 21, 1970 Appl. N0.: 73,943

References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS Veness t. 66/117 Sage 84/422 5 Primary ExaminerStephcn J. Tomsky Assistant Examiner-John F. Gonzales Attorney, Agent, or FirmSchmidt. Johnson, Hovey & Williams [57] ABSTRACT A drumstick or device for similar purposes is constructed with at least that portion of the length thereof to be gripped by a user generally flattened in one transverse direction to facilitate more comfortable and positive holding and manipulation of the stick than is possible with conventional sticks having a circular transverse cross section throughout their lengths,

4 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTED 3.866508 INVENTOR. Elmer F. Hus/1g flTTORNfYS.

STICK FOR PLAYING PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS This invention relates to the field of music and, more particularly, to an improved form of drumstick or instrument for use in playing percussion type musical instruments.

Drumsticks are conventionally made with a generally circular transverse cross section, so that it is necessary for a musician in manipulating such instruments to hold the same by gripping the circularly rounded surfaces of the stick at opposed sides of the latter. Such configuration in the construction of drumsticks and the like has long been so conventional that, insofar as I am aware, no positive effort has heretofore been made to improve such devices, even though the difficulty of maintaining a proper grip upon conventional type drumsticks over any extended period of playing is a matter of common knowledge. With conventional drumsticks of circular transverse cross section, it has also been found more difficult to properly instruct beginners in the manner of holding the sticks in a proper fashion, since the rounded cross section of conventional sticks tends to be both uncomfortable when gripped and difficult for a beginner to maintain in a proper relationship to the hand even after it has been initially emplaced in such position. The inherent disadvantages of conventional drumsticks are not, however, limited to the use of such instruments by beginners, but are equally applicable as limiting factors upon the quality and duration of the performances of skilled players.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of this invention to provide an improved type of drumstick or device for striking percussion instruments which overcomes the aforesaid and other disadvantages of conventional drumsticks.

It is another important object of this invention to provide an improved drumstick or the like having opposed surfaces thereof generally flattened throughout at least that portion of the length of the stick where it is held and gripped by a user.

It is still another important object of this invention to provide such an improved drumstick which may be more comfortably and positively gripped and manipulated both by beginners and by musicians skilled in the playing of percussion instruments.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent or be made clear from the drawing and the description of illustrative embodiments of the invention that follows.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the invention in its typical relationship to the left hand of a user;

FIG. 2 is a view showing the drumstick of such embodiment in cross section and in the general relationship it would typically bear to the right hand of a user;

Hg. 3 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the improved drumstick contemplated by the invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 77 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of still another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 1.0 is a cross-sectional view taken on line l0l0 of FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken on line llll of FIG. 9.

The currently preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 14, provides an elongated drumstick or similar device for striking a percussion type musical instrument, which device is generally designated by the numeral 10. At one end of the device or stick 10 is a striking head 12 which may be conventional in configuration. The device 10 inherently has a balance point in the general vicinity indicated at 14 in FIG. 3, and the mass of the portions of the device or stick 10 between the balance point 14 and its opposite ends are equal. The overall length of the device 10 may, therefore, be divided into three general zones including a terminal length 16 adjacent the end of stick l0 remote from the bead 12, an intermedate length 18 adjacent the terminal length 16, and a partially tapered connecting length 20 extending from the intermediate length 18 to the striking bead 12. It will be understood that the intermediate length 18 includes that range of longitudinal zones of the stick 10 at which it will normally be held or gripped in the hand of a user. Although the general relationship of lengths 16, 18 and 20 is indicated in FIG. 3, it should be understood that they are not necessarily to scale and will depend upon the nature of the material used in forming the stick l0 and certain aspects of its configuration hereinafter to be further discussed.

The stick 10 may conventionally be formed of hard wood, and a typical overall length therefor would be approximately 15 /2 inches, although longer or shorter lengths may be used and the invention is deemed applicable to such various lengths. Since it is normally necessary to have a greater portion of the mass of the device 10 disposed between the player's hand and the percussion instrument being struck, in order to provide the inertia characteristics required for proper and rapid manipulation of the device 10, the intermediate length 18 of device 10 will generally extend from a zone adjacent the balance point 14 in a direction away from the striking bead l2, and such intermediate length 18 will preferably extend a distance from adjacent the balance point 14 sufficient to accommodate variance in individual player preferences as to the amount of mass of the stick l0 desired between the hand of the user and the instrument to be played.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in'FIGS. l-4 a pair of opposed side surfaces 22 and 24 of the device 10 are generally flattened throughout virtually the entire length of stick 10 including the terminal length 16, the intermediate length 18 and at least a major portion of the connecting length 20, while a pair of opposed edge surfaces 26 and 28 are configured with substantially circular arcs having a radius of curvature at the central longitudinal axis 30 of the stick 10. The generally flattened surfaces 22 and 24 may be slightly curved in character or may preferably include substantially parallel straight portions as illustrated, but, if curved at all, will be curved much more gently than the edge surfaces 26 and 28 and will have a substantially greater radius of curvature than the latter. Thus, in the currently preferred embodiment, the generally'flattened side surfaces 22 and 24 extend substantially down to the striking bead 12 except for a short Zone of the connecting length generally indicated at 32 where the transverse cross section of the stick I necessarily rounds to circular form to blend into the striking bead 12 which, of course is circular in transverse cross section and of lesser transverse dimension than the distance between edge surfaces 26 and 28.

In FIG. 1, it will be noted that when the device 10 is held in typical and approved fashion in the left hand 34 of a musician, the generally flattened side surfaces 22 will be naturally received alongside the adjacent portions of the users thumb 36 and index finger 38, with the curved edge surface 26 received in the vertex between the thumb 36 and finger 38. Similarly, FIG. 2 generally illustrates the positive gripping relationship of the generally flattened side surfaces 22 and 24- between the thumb 40 and the index finger 42 of a musicians right hand 44, with the edge surfaces 26 and 28 tending to naturally nest between the knuckle joints of the index finger 42.

The preferred form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-4 provides a drumstick N) which has a natural feel and pleasing appearance, but most importantly, permits the musician to hold and manipulate the stick If) in a positive manner and without discomfort over long periods of time and during the playing of difficult musical passages for which positive control over the stick I0 is essential to proper musical execution.

Referring now to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 5-8, which may be preferred by some percussion instrument musicians and is also well adapted for use in teaching beginners, only the intermediate length 18' is provided with generally flattened, opposed side surfaces 22 and 24, while the terminal length 16 and the connecting length 20 are of circular cross section. The modified embodiment of device is provided with a striking bead 112 at one end of the stick it) and adjacent a tapered portion 46 of the connecting length By virtue of the circular cross section of the portions of terminal length 16 and connecting length 20 adjacent each end of the intermediate or gripping length 18', the users hand is naturally guided to approximately that portion of the stick 10' at which the latter will properly be held. It should be noted that, depending upon the density of the material used in constructing the modified stick 10', the balance point 14 thereof may be expected to shift somewhat toward the bead 12 as compared with the location of the balance point 14 of the stick 10 shown in FIGS. 1-4. It will be understood, however, that the intermediate length 18 ofthe embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 58 may be extended as close to the zone of its balance point 14 as may be desired, keeping in mind that it should preferably terminate so as to facilitate beginners quickly finding the proper location above the balance point 14 at which the stick 10 should properly be held.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 941, wherein the stick is designated 10', the general flattening of the stick to present opposed side surfaces 22" and 24- is extended throughout both the terminal length 16" and the intermediate length 18", while the connecting length 20" is of conventional, circular, transverse cross section. This construction may be preferred by some experienced drummers because of the wide degree of choice that it allows for gripping the stick it) at various zones above its balance point 14'', while still pro viding a convenient guide to the lower end of the zone at which the stick 10" may be properly gripped by virtue of the differing surface configurations of the intermediate length l8' and the connecting length 20 at their zone ofjuncture.

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, this invention is not only well adapted for accomplishing its objects, but is also suited for implementation by means of various embodiments involving minor modifications in detail. Accordingly, it should be understood that the invention should be deemed limited only by the fair scope of the claims that follow.

I claim:

1. A drumstick for manually striking percussion type musical instruments comprising:

an elongated, unitary, solid member including a striking bead at one end of the member, an intermediate length of the member adapted to be gripped by a user, a connecting length of the member extending from said intermediate length to said bead, and a terminal length of the member adjacent the end thereof remote from said bead,

said member having a fixed balance point intermediate its ends, the portions of the member between said balance point and the respective opposite ends of the member having equal masses,

said intermediate length being disposed between said balance point and the end of the member remote from said striking bead,

said lengths of the member each having a pair of intersecting, perpendicular, transverse crosssectional axes, the transverse dimension of the member being greater along one of said axes than along the other of said axes throughout parts of the member ineluding at least said intermediate length thereof,

said parts of the member being provided with a pair of spaced, opposite, generally flattened side surfaces and a pair of spaced, opposite, curved edge surfaces,

said parts of said member extending throughout said intermediate length only,

said terminal and connecting lengths being of generally circular transverse cross section.

2. The invention of claim I, wherein said edge surfaces of said intermediate length are of generally circular curvature and have radii and radii of curvature at their longitudinal extremities substantially equal to the radii and radii of curvature of the adjacent extremities of said terminal and connecting lengths.

3. A drumstick for manually striking percussion type musical instruments comprising:

an elongated, unitary, solid member including a striking head at one end of the member, an intermediate length of the member adapted to be gripped by a user, a connecting length of the member extending from said intermediate length to said bead, and a terminal length of the member adjacent the end thereof remote from said bead, said member having a fixed balance point intermediate its ends, the portions of the member between said balance point and the respective opposite ends of the member having equal masses,

surfaces,

said parts of said member extending throughout said terminal and intermediate lengths only,

said connecting length being of generally circular transverse cross section.

4. The invention of claim 3, wherein said edge surfaces of said intermediate length are of generally circular curvature and have radii and radii of curvature at the longitudinal extremity thereof nearest said connecting length substantially equal to the radius and radius of curvature of the adjacent extremity of said connecting length, 

1. A drumstick for manually striking percussion type musical instruments comprising: an elongated, unitary, solid member including a striking bead aT one end of the member, an intermediate length of the member adapted to be gripped by a user, a connecting length of the member extending from said intermediate length to said bead, and a terminal length of the member adjacent the end thereof remote from said bead, said member having a fixed balance point intermediate its ends, the portions of the member between said balance point and the respective opposite ends of the member having equal masses, said intermediate length being disposed between said balance point and the end of the member remote from said striking bead, said lengths of the member each having a pair of intersecting, perpendicular, transverse cross-sectional axes, the transverse dimension of the member being greater along one of said axes than along the other of said axes throughout parts of the member including at least said intermediate length thereof, said parts of the member being provided with a pair of spaced, opposite, generally flattened side surfaces and a pair of spaced, opposite, curved edge surfaces, said parts of said member extending throughout said intermediate length only, said terminal and connecting lengths being of generally circular transverse cross section.
 2. The invention of claim 1, wherein said edge surfaces of said intermediate length are of generally circular curvature and have radii and radii of curvature at their longitudinal extremities substantially equal to the radii and radii of curvature of the adjacent extremities of said terminal and connecting lengths.
 3. A drumstick for manually striking percussion type musical instruments comprising: an elongated, unitary, solid member including a striking bead at one end of the member, an intermediate length of the member adapted to be gripped by a user, a connecting length of the member extending from said intermediate length to said bead, and a terminal length of the member adjacent the end thereof remote from said bead, said member having a fixed balance point intermediate its ends, the portions of the member between said balance point and the respective opposite ends of the member having equal masses, said intermediate length being disposed between said balance point and the end of the member remote from said striking bead, said lengths of the member each having a pair of intersecting, perpendicular, transverse cross-sectional axes, the transverse dimension of the member being greater along one of said axes than along the other of said axes throughout parts of the member including at least said intermediate length thereof, said parts of the member being provided with a pair of spaced, opposite, generally flattened side surfaces and a pair of spaced, opposite, curved edge surfaces, said parts of said member extending throughout said terminal and intermediate lengths only, said connecting length being of generally circular transverse cross section.
 4. The invention of claim 3, wherein said edge surfaces of said intermediate length are of generally circular curvature and have radii and radii of curvature at the longitudinal extremity thereof nearest said connecting length substantially equal to the radius and radius of curvature of the adjacent extremity of said connecting length. 